The GXish adventures of Shirley the crocodile
by Seiri Yuki
Summary: -ON HOLD-! Ever wondered if the animals of GX ever have to save the humans, occasionally? The answer:yes! Shirley/Karen is new to the academy. join her as she makes friends, finds out what it means to be a GX beastie... and maybe a little more? RXR plz
1. Introduction the threat

**A/n yes, i can explain this... see, when i was bored one day i wondered what the animals of GX did when they were off screen. do they carry the same sort of "Save the world" burdens that Jaden and friends do? Of course they do!! So this is a little story exploring a plot-line fit just for them and them alone!!  
Set at the start of season three when they all arrive on the island. Shirley the crocodile/Karen starts to make friends and to realise what tough work it can be, being from GX.....**

**enjoy :P! and don't forget to review if you liked it.... because i might start to get bored with the story after a while if nobody does......**

**Disclaimer:i do not own Yugioh GX or any of the characters. i don't even own the island. anyway, you get the picture.**

**Introduction: the threat**

The deep night was heavy with foreign smells, ticking at my sensitive nose until I finally came back to consciousness, to the sight of my best friend and partner in crime lying sleeping on my right. As I stared around, the dull shapes of furniture in the dark loomed threateningly from all around so I cast a glance over my resting friend.

His breathing was deep and rhythmic, and the leather cowboy hat he wore was splayed across his face to stave off the moonlight pooling all around us on the sheets. All was as normal-as normal as I was used to in my short time here so far. However I was no longer sleepy, and I felt my legs cry out for exercise. Therefore a nice moonlit stroll was on the forefront of my mind now that it wasn't time for the sun to wake up my companion yet. So I slid myself from the covers to the carpeted ground and set off for a walk.

I approached the half-open door apprehensively…. Being a crocodile is sometimes a disadvantage in this new situation my friend had brought me to. It was a lot less warm than our previous dwelling, and I found it increasingly difficult to wander around on my own like I always did, due to the amount of doors posing object to my freedom_. Still_, I thought pushing the one in front of me now, insistently with my snout, _at least it was only a short walk to the outside world._

We had been here for two weeks now, Jim and I, which found me spending a lot of time being carried around and looked after. Not that I mind that much, but he seems to be so over-protective lately I can barely take two steps away without him going crazy. When will he loosen up and let me roam properly?

As soon as I'd made my way out of the blue building the skies stretched out above me, a whole smattering of constellations painting the black into a mottled haze that was guarded by clouds. There were new smells everywhere, and I was thankful for the opportunity to stretch my legs. So being the inquisitive reptile I was, I headed into the vegetation nearby. My heightened senses told me this may not be the lovely moonlit walk I had originally hoped for, but nonetheless, the sanctuary of dark brambles was enticing me to it's depths. As soon as the trees had closed across the surface of the timid moon peeking through the clouds, I became aware of a pair of yellow eyes watching me from a collection of shrubs, waiting to ambush.

"Who's there?" I decided to ask, although if it were a human I knew my inquiry would immediately fall on deaf ears. The only human that understands me when I speak is Jim, and even he appears to be just guessing most of the time. But the pair of eyes seemed to acknowledge me. They blinked and were gone, leaving me a little confused.

"Hey!" a voice yelled in the distance. I could tell immediately it was a fellow animal from the tone, and when I turned to greet them, a slightly familiar furry face was bounding towards me. "You're not thinking of joining the foresters are you? What would your human say?" it was shouting, displacing the reedy grass as it neared.

"Aren't you that cat I saw that's always around with the people?" I asked, when the fat ginger tabby reached me and slowed. The darkness painted it's ginger fur a murky greenish-brown, but my sensitive night vision could immediately distinguish the worried expression filling it's furry face.

"Yes, just keeping up appearances. Anyway, you're one of us, you can't possibly be thinking of joining the foresters!" he implored mysteriously, blocking my path. Although I could have torn him to shreds had I wanted to, I didn't of course, as my primitive nature had long left me thanks to Jim. And although he doesn't always understand nature as well as he thinks he does, we're getting there. He certainly is useful in bridging the gap between the destructive force of mankind and us animals, just getting on with our existence. One day he may even achieve peace between both parties- or, well, we can hope, right?

Since I was new to this place, I decided I needed some fellow creature company for help, and this cat would do nicely since I'd left all my friends behind when we came here. After all, no croc is an island.

"Who's the foresters?" I asked, hoping that I was not intruding on any sacred ground. I did that once back in the sunny place we lived in until recently, and almost never made it out again.

"Come and take a little walk with me and I'll tell you a little about our- circumstances," the cat offered, in response and with tail held high, began to trot back the way I'd come. I was wary; animals don't exactly lie but sometimes we do play tricks on each other. Was this one of these times?

Finally I decided to follow since he had peaked my interest, my heavy tail dragging a curvy indent into the soft soil behind me. The whole forest was pulsating with foreign smells and I cast a half-hearted glance back up at the window of the room I had left a while ago. According to the skies, I would have to be back before sunrise if I was not to worry Jim. And I did not want to do that.

"What's your name?" I asked in a vague attempt to start a conversation, when a few minutes passed uneventfully. The high grass was making it difficult to see anything, and I was already only following the scent of my new acquaintance as I jogged behind.

"my human used to call me Pharaoh," answered my furry companion, shortly. Someone isn't talkative, I thought briefly to myself. Although that's not usually out of the ordinary for an animal. Especially a very- well fed one who is speeding along at this pace.

"Mine calls me Shirley," I offered willingly. "and what do you mean by 'used to'?" 'Used to' is one of those phrases that denoted something that no longer takes place, and I could not imagine why he was using it to talk about his human. Had something happened to make them disown him? I shivered. Nothing would cause Jim abandon me, would it?

A few seconds haunted by an owl cackle passed, and I was reminded that I would need to feed soon. However I could trust Jim to take care of this matter for me, and also being a crocodile means that unlike humans, I don't waste half my day eating. In fact I only need the odd snack once a week.

"Something… happened to my human a while back… anyway, that's not important at the moment. What is important is that you obviously don't know much about the way the wildlife works here if you were just going to stroll into- their domain… like that. So I feel it's my duty to explain it," Pharaoh answered, haughtily, his bobbing tail leading me through some thick vegetation on the doorstep of the forest. Confused, I stayed quiet.

"It all started with the lab," my new acquaintance began, when the shape of a building with a red roof swam into view. There was plenty of trees from the forest casting fickle fingers of shadow over it's simple exterior and it became apparent this was where we were heading for. I felt the need to wrap up whatever conversation we were having, but the cat did not make any more effort to press on with his story. He began to increase speed when he met a dirt path.

"The lab," I repeated, my short legs proving their worth when I caught up with the streaking orange lightning bolt ahead of me.

"Yes," he continued, rapidly nearing the small building we were headed for. The view was rather handsome from here, said building standing tall on the edge of a cliff overlooking a large expanse of water and another large cylindrical structure which only attracted my attention when a beam of light flushed over us, and I noticed a thin sliver of brightness circling the cliffs from it's top. In the very bowels of the horizon a measure of pink was creeping out of the ocean, and indicated that the sun would soon be born once again for another dance across the sky.

Perhaps this would be an enjoyable place to live, after all.

"There was a lab set up here to study the wildlife, a while back. But when the lab started to corrupt the animals that lived here, they began to rebel against their captors and some managed to escape. According to them, all humans were evil and did horrible things to nature, which we know for a fact is not true. And when that statement began to spread, all of the forest creatures who did not have humans began to join them, because they knew no different…"

I gasped. How terrible! It was not unknown that people would and have done bad things to nature in their time, but there were some like my Jim who strived for just the opposite, a world where everyone was satisfied and got on. But what had that to do with my being stopped from entering the forest?

"What about you? You surely know that they aren't as bad as the animals here make out," I asked, now genuinely concerned. Nothing should go on thinking such terrible untrue things about another race!

"yes I know most of the humans here have good hearts, and that's why I continue to come to this building. This used to be my human's home, my home. But now there are other young humans here who continue to care for me. Shirley- I am the head of the operation _against_ this movement to drive the humans off the island." Pharaoh explained darkly, and continued, "for a minute I thought you were about to become one of the others. Someone with such a kind human could not join the side of the foresters so easily,"

"No, I was just going for a stroll," I told him truthfully, "But why did you stop me going in there? Surely you don't think I'd be in danger," I yawned in an effort to display my impressive maw. However my efforts went unseen as the cat seemed to be in such a great hurry that he did not have the courtesy to glance back.

"It's not you, so much as your human," he replied instead. Jim? What would they want to do with him?

"Those monsters will go after all of our humans soon, with a plan that'll drive all of them off of this island for good." The cat turned now to face me, and a swirling breeze rippled his tan fur like the ocean framing him.

"What? A plan?" I frowned, something which took a lot of effort on my part. "the humans aren't silly, you know! What could a bunch of forest-dwelling creatures do to drive a whole herd of people from here?"

"something which may get them all killed. All of us killed. You see, us who have humans are the only ones who know about this plan. We need your help, badly because we, Shirley, are the only hope for our people friends." he purred dramatically.

"How come you need me?" I asked, as it wasn't the first thing on my agenda right now. Especially since Jim was so protective of me… was it that he sensed something going on?

"You're the latest addition to the army of animals that's come to this island with humans. Not to mention the most exotic…we need all the help we can get to stop something terrible from happening," insisted the cat. "we need to act quick if we are to stop whatever catastrophe they have planned,"

I hung undecided.

"Now's not the best time to be off on some adventure. I have to get back to Jim," I invented. Was there anything I could do to still help them without pledging allegiance to something I could not keep up with? However, if it involved my human and danger, I would have to do everything to protect him.

"Do we know what they plan to do?" I asked, as I turned to leave.

I planned to take the moonlit stroll I had originally started out on.

"Not yet but that's why I need your help. Will you lend a paw? Or… flipper or whatever you have…?" he asked, urgently. I sighed deeply. How could I make Jim understand if I did?

"I'll think about it," I replied, turning to traverse the dirt path home.

"You will join us eventually," I heard Pharaoh foretell, to my retreating back. "all of us who have humans have to some time," then I was out of earshot.

What was that all about? I wondered on my way back. The humans had wronged some forest animals, and now they were to take serious revenge on them. I had to help stop the cruelty to humans, somehow, but when and how? For some reason I really began to feel like I should get back to Jim, so I dragged myself as quickly as I could back the way I'd come.

And as soon as I was back beside my sleeping friend, it actually began to worry me even more. Would they really do something to Jim if I didn't join the opposition? That was something I could not let happen. Just looking at him, sleeping, with no way of knowing the danger he could be in, it made me even more set to protect the humans.

If something were to happen to him I had no idea what I'd do. Who would lend me their warmth when I needed energy? Who would I accompany and protect if anything happened to him?

The words Pharaoh had told me rang continuously within my head after that. "_you will join us eventually. All of us who have humans have to sometime," _What were the foresters planning to do to get the humans to go? I was sure I'd find out soon enough… Because I had to find a way of getting away from Jim, even if it was for a little while each day, so that I could help Pharaoh stop them. But who would protect him when I wasn't there? Perhaps I could invest in a human-sitter…

**A/n okay.... i know it's not exactly a cliffhanger but it's only the introduction... and my first attempt at a story with more than one chapter. Want to know how Shirley gets on when she and Pharaoh try to uncover the plot against the humans? Then tune in next time! And please review, especially if you thought it was any good!!**


	2. Chapter 1 That sounds like a plan!

**A/n: Wow, never thought i'd get this finished! okay, i've decided to have the chapters a lot longer so that i won't have to spend forever on it (And also as an apology for not updating sooner). Also as you may soon notice, i've begun to intergrate the story of what's going on with the animals with the actual storyline of Gx- so you can see the untold side of season 3!  
but i can't promise i will always abide by the storyline in the later chapters! so it may become AU after a while. Oh, and the other thing i must mention before you begin is that for anyone who's not watched the japanese version of the show the part where Kenzan/ Hassleberry goes all funny in ep. 110 from the waves that effect animals, he doesn't actually say anything coherent as opposed to the english dub, where he speaks like a caveman. o.O well just to warn you, i used the english audio but kept the jap part where you can't understand. (as this actually helps to add to the plot)..  
Oh and I hope you don't all think I'm making fun of Jim in this chapter. He's one of my fav characters ever and I really want him to become a regular part of the story... so don't take Shirley's comments wrong, i'm sure she loves him very much. ^_^**

**okay, think that's it. sorry if i rambled and---a big big thanks to anyone who reviewed so far!!!! if you're new then welcome and i hope you enjoy this silly little tale! and if you aren't new.... well... hope you're equally as entertained!!**

**DISCLAIMER: i still have no claim over anything remotely Gx, even though there are a few of my own creations added, whose identities i will not spoil before you read!... don't own Jim either, no matter how i want to -_-**

Chapter 1- that sounds like a plan!

_Flashback: __"__you will join us eventually__…__ all of us who have humans had to in the end__…"__ the words that Pharaoh had told me echoed inside my head. Would the revenge-seeking forest animals do something to Jim if I didn't join them? Well__…__ I__'__d find out soon enough__…_

_-end flashback-_

These were the thoughts that haunted me every day, for almost a week after the meeting I'd had with Pharaoh. Would the forest creatures go after Jim, my human, if I left the other animals to it? …and that was the other matter. It was now almost three weeks since my human and I had first journeyed together over the ocean to this huge, colourful and cold island, and the only other animal I had seen around was Pharaoh the cat, who didn't even have a human himself anymore. Who else was actually _in_ this secret rebellion against the foresters?

Still, there was almost nothing else to indicate that our strange meeting that night had just indeed been a vivid dream. That is, until the day my human decided to go exploring… while not letting me roam free, either. Nothing out of the ordinary was to blame for this, I'm afraid, but after the warning my new feline friend had issued, I was extra-nervous at letting him poke around with me almost immobile on his back. What if one of the forest creatures leapt from the depths of this woody island's many trees and mauled him? No, as you could tell I was very ill at ease and nervous.

"C'mon, mate! We'll do a little adventuring today!" he'd exclaimed, brightly, that fateful morning. I had grumbled my displeasure at this, but as usual he mistook my concern for some sort of affirmative, as he fitted on those high cowboy boots and buttoned up his shirt in front of a high old mirror which reflected him and the rest of the room.

"That's right, girl! Go and say g'day to all the natives!" he chuckled, turning back to me and grinning. It seemed he was still unaware of the potential danger he was facing today- or indeed at any moment.

"NO!" I yelled frantically, "Why can't we just go to that nice warm building you sit in normally? Why 'out' ?" but already he'd lifted me in his arms and straight into the brace on his back. _So much for you understanding nature__…_I had to exclaim bitterly in my mind.

As you can guess, from the moment he had left on his adventure, I was very anxious. But just like us animals, it seems integration and exploration are important parts of moving dwelling for the humans too. I'd rather have had some power over what he was going to be doing, but it seemed even my bad feeling could not prevent the events that were to occur later on that day. So all I had to amuse myself was to examine the inverted scenery and curse this mode of transport. I much preferred the use of my legs, but sometimes it seems it's unacceptable to the other humans if I was doing any of my own explorations. See, that brace I'm committed to daily is fine for transport and restraint (yes, apparently other humans tend to yell and scream randomly whenever they set eyes on me… so it's more for my safety than theirs) but as far as the view's concerned… please take into account that my eyes are set on the top of my head…so all I see daily is and upside-down view of whatever my human _isn__'__t _facing.

The sun hadn't even traipsed it's way overhead when I was already scratching to get down.

"All right, girl. Don't tell me you're throwing another wobbly?" he asked good naturedly, as I slid to the ground. I shot him a very reproachful look, which fortunately he did not see. _He_ was too busy slamming a whole _bush _out of his way, with that strange boomerang-shaped object he carries around all the time. _Seriously, _I had to think as I trudged along behind him, _someone who prides himself on being so good with nature should know better than to beat up innocent trees like that__…_

And then I distinctly heard a rustle from a nearby bush, which when I looked over, had the indecency to stare at me provocatively with two yellow orbs. Was this a forester come to get us?

"Oi!" I roared, rushing toward it. My human had just headed for there, too!

"Get away from there! It's going to hurt you, Jim!"

"What?" he turned to stare at my wildly thrashing body; in fact I almost bowled him straight over as I charged straight for the perpetrator. The scratchy branches parted easily to allow me passage, and to my great horror and surprise, I emerged the other side without meeting the owner of the pair of eyes at all. "Where are you?" I yelled, desperately before my nose was very nearly trampled out of the blue. I could now hear other human voices nearby, and in my worked up state, all I could see were blurry colours. As carefully as I could, I reached out for the nearest moving object, fearing it to be what Pharaoh had warned me about…

Whatever I had caught between my jaws struggled away wildly with a roar and because of the way Jim had raised me, I knew better to tear the lump I had a hold of out. So I was dragged about a metre forward amidst a whirlwind of colours and incoherent noise before the thing I'd caught collapsed, and I heard the frantic pounding of my human's footsteps approaching.

"Down girl, heel!" he yelled as he neared. I blinked in surprise and realised with a sinking feeling that I'd caught none other than another young human- one wearing something around his head which made him look like a monster and deep yellow clothes. Whooops...

"What's gotten into you Shirley?" he asked, and I noted the apprehensive tone he showered me with as he reassuringly patting the top of my head. Embarrassed, I willingly released my captive human's rear. How terrible! I gave us animals a bad name!

"I'll tell you what's gotten into her, my rear end!" yelled the male human I'd caught, but to prove my apology was genuine, I rolled onto my back submissively in Jim's arms. What a way to start acting just after I'd been told about the animals who hated humans! However, the only reply _my_ human gave to me that acknowledged my apology, was to re-confine me to the brace on his back. How shameful that I was actually put there for other's safety, that someone would think I meant them harm! I even managed to concern Jim, which hasn't happened for so long that I can't remember the last time I saw that pained expression. If I could cry, I would. (But I can't, I have different tear ducts to humans.)

"Sorry, mate. But Shirley here isn't responsible for her behaviour," he finally decided to cover up. Or had he got some other interpretation for the way I acted? Usually, he did.

"Uh… Jim? Then who is responsible?" asked another brightly-clothed human child. This one was almost smaller than the others and was clearly distinguishable from the red jacket he was donned in. And the big brown eyes that were staring down my human like he was the most interesting object he'd ever seen. (Which he probably was.)

"Not who's responsible, more like what!" explained Jim, and I could have hugged him had I been physically able. Perhaps he does know about the forest creatures that plan to do something to our humans…! At least… I hoped he did with all my heart!

…"Something in the air has triggered her primitive instincts!" he then continued to say. Yes, I could have face-palmed. Had I had a palm or a face to do it with properly with. And I was so ashamed of myself from earlier I could hardly force the warning when Jim began to lead the little group of humans into the forest, babbling away to himself about some waves in the air that make animals go crazy. I mean really!

Then, another two orbs appeared on my right, attracting my attention from the upside-down view I enjoyed at the moment. I couldn't quite see exactly what it was, for this reason, but the second I heard the rustle, I began to shout.

"Stay back from my human, you forest monster! He did nothing to you!" I yelled, to anyone who cared to be listening. It seemed someone was listening- Jim, who further shamed me by looping that strip of orange material that hangs from his neck across my head until I could not see anything anymore. Was there any other great shame he could inflict on me today? I wondered, in the darkness swirling before my eyes. Perhaps this was the fate I was to suffer… still, at least as long as I could feel his warmth on my stomach I knew he was just fine, and thankfully he had spared my ears. The next few minutes were swamped with noises I had to deal with, until another rustle and the most excruciating roar. This had to be something right?

"Jim! Stay away!" I yelled, when the sound erupted even closer to us. Then I distinguished words from within the noise.

"You! You did this!" it yelled, and I almost recognised it as that of another large reptile like myself. Then the commotion swallowed his next words.

"The miracle-workers… they have it…" the reptilian voice growled again a few heartbeats later, but I would not dare to ask questions when Jim was already punishing me. I only wished I could get a glimpse of where this animal was- and if everyone was so afraid of me, then why had all the screaming stopped? Was it that whatever it was had gotten the other humans with mine?

The only attention I paid to anything the humans were discussing after that was when my Jim spoke, and he sometimes comes out with the oddest of statements!… but that's just his nature, right?

"Part dinosaur, you say? Got to admit, that's a new one on me… but it sounds interesting!" he commented, jovially.

"Traitor…?" the reptile happened to ask. Was my human talking to it? Talking to a forester? I suppose anything is possible with that loopy guy… but still…

"I'd love a fair go…" Jim continued to say, confirming that he had indeed being speaking to whoever the owner of the animal voice was.

"Traitor dies! No more island!" he yelled back, forcing my cold heart to sink. This had to be a forester, calling my pure-hearted (tree-assaulting) human a traitor with that tone. (Remember, animals never lie. We do trick each other, but never lie.)

"You're on!" answered my human. That was when I realised that my human was playing that odd game using huge spirit-creatures. With a forester? Wow, I'd never known the spirits to obey another_ animal_. They co-exist with us, another force enslaved down in the centuaries to care for and protect the humans. Surely they would never let this human-hater hurt my Jim??

"Come on, human! We all know you're the reason we're powerless to make our move!" with that, I sensed the presence of one of the spirits I told you about a minute ago. "You will fall and then she will lead us to victory!" It finished.

Not if I can help it, I thought desperately, although in my current predicament I was quite powerless to do anything.

"I play Flint Cragger! And next I'll send him off to the graveyard! But not before he inflicts 500points of damage!" I heard Jim announce, his loud confidence flooding me. No, I'd never let them hurt him. Even if they forced the spirits to fight each other like dogs for fun!

Then, my eager ears heard the strangest thing. The forester I'd been listening to began to speak like a human- and if I wasn't mistaken, it was the very same human's voice as the one I'd accidentally grabbed. Did this human have the spirit of a forester inside or could he just talk to animals? How EXTREMELY curious!

And that was it. Nothing else from the forester voice, although I did note my human using me as a cushion once in his fight, which I was of course prompted to voice my concern over. Not only that, but my instincts told me something was going to go wrong, well before it happened. And I was about to meet this threat head on, if I had of only known, I would have never let him leave his room.

After the humans were finished their pointless fight, I felt Jim collapse, his breathing became shallow and he did not get up again.

"Jim?" I grumbled, but received no reply. Surely the forester human hadn't got him, had it??? I had so many questions!

And that's where this tale _officially_ begins: me, after being freed from Jim's back, lying forgotten in the dark, as people dressed in white fussed over my human in a room that smelled too clean to be allowed to exist. What happened, you ask? I have not the slightest idea. But I knew my human was now sick, and I'd have to stay by his side until his health returned- it'd be the least I could do after being such a bad croc earlier. And he'd do it for me, that was for sure.

I also noticed the human child who held the voice of a forester was sick too, they put him in another bed opposite the one I resided beneath, and some other people dressed in white were fussing over his limp body too. When all the commotions had passed, I crept out and up beside my unconscious friend.

_What was happening to us?_ I asked him, mentally, although through all the wires and things I could only make out his slow breathing. If I could have given him some of my strength through my snout which I rested gently on his abdomen, I would have.

Soon, I heard voices once again, and I had to retreat back to my hiding-place before the humans started shrieking at the sight of me again. I was sick of all the noise and commotion, plus it would not improve Jim's condition if I had everyone yelling and fussing around him. But the footsteps brought a few of the people he had made friends with earlier back, to see him. How sweet, I thought to myself, I'd never seen that many other humans who worried about him as much as I did.

However, although I was not in the mood for figuring out what they were talking about (it actually took me some time to figure out how the human's speech system worked and did require effort to listen to them) I did catch the reoccurring theme of the waves in the air that make animals go crazy. Silly Jim for putting that into their minds!

Actually…the humans may have an idea that something's going on, but I had no idea just how much their fate rested in our hands.

Then, as quickly as the loyal friends arrived, they were gone, and they took with them the last of the sunlight from the day.

The darkness swirled around the hospital (it was almost my first time ever being in a place like this) and a steady stream of cold moonlight from a window in the ceiling created puddles of illumination on the ground. The prospect of an uneasy nap beside my poorly human was on the forefront of my mind after this, but unfortunately fate had other things in store for me tonight. It was the slight movement by one of the windows that first intrigued me, and by the time I had crept into a position to see what it had been, I was now staring into the two upside-down eyes of a furry little rodent hanging from the top of the frame. With a wink, it addressed me in a tiny, quiet little voice.

"Are you Shirley the crocodile?" it asked, timidly without moving.

"Why yes," I confirmed, slinking into the centre of the moonlit floor. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Perry; a cat called Pharaoh sent me to find you. What are you doing here?" she asked me. For this tiny-voiced little flying rodent must be a she with her dainty little nose and fuzzy, webbed wings.

"My human is sick," I told her dryly, casting a glance back at Jim. He did not look in pain, which comforted me somewhat. "If Pharaoh has sent for me I'm afraid I can't go until my human recovers," I apologised, afterward.

"Would you like me to watch him?" asked the bat, suddenly spreading her little wings and fluttering down towards me like a little paper aeroplane.

I frowned a little, and had to look back at the human in question.

"I would rather do it myself… after all, I'm mighty enough to protect him if the need arises,"

"I would advise you went to this gathering, for tonight Pharaoh intends to find out the plans of the forest threat," my dainty little messenger relayed dutifully, landing gracefully on the brim of my Jim's tan hat and peeping cautiously into his face. "If he shows any signs of awakening, I promise you will be the first to know. And if he is in danger… I shall raise the alarm." she promised.

I was still unsure but after today's events and the incident of the forester voice coming from the human child laying opposite, I felt I had a lot to contribute to the campaign to keep the humans safe.

"All right," I finally agreed, "But first, where should I go to find Pharaoh?"

"Follow the path to the crystal blue lake… it should be only ten minutes from the main exit of this building," replied Perry happily from her perch.

"I'm eternally grateful for the help," I thanked her, and with a final glance back at the pair, I began to sprint through the doors which magically sprung open as I neared them, and down a long, moonlit corridor to an enormous staircase. Everywhere was deserted and void of movement, which made me slightly uneasy. In fact as soon as the cool night air caressed my scales, I was glad to have the interior walk behind me.

This island was large; the only thing that made this any better was the smatterings of lakes and water breaking it up. I was always happy to go for a well-earned swim whenever I came upon one. In fact, sometimes I can even coax my human in as well, although I know they are not as adapted to the joys of nautical adventures as I am. Still, you must remember a worried croc is not a slow one, so it took me less than half the time that Perry had specified to arrive on it's banks. A magnificent building the colour of the lake at this late hour furbished one side of the expanse of water. On the other, I could see a few moon stained figures waiting on me.

"So you came!" shouted Pharaoh, as I neared them. On one side of him was another small winged rodent, and to his other was a large, furry grey rat.

"I see you're not alone," I noted once I was among the group.

"Yes, this is Viola," he introduced, indicated his head towards the bat on his right. To me she appeared almost identical to the one I had left in custody of my sick human, although perhaps a little larger.

"And I'm Humphrey the third," piped the rat on my other side. "I put the _die _in diabolical,"

"Right…" even I had more sense that to have told him there was no 'e' to support this theory. "So, what's going on? Have the foresters made any moves yet?"

"Not that we can see. Where were you? I looked in the windows of that building you live in and they were all dark!"

"My human was taken ill earlier today," I explained bitterly, "and I think it had something to do with the human-haters," Humphrey the third turned, soon followed by Pharaoh and the other bat.

"You may explain on the way… we should start the long journey down into the lairs of this place now. We _must _uncover their plans, if we are to save our innocent humans!" Pharaoh announced which left me nothing better to do than traipse along in his wake.

"where has my sister got to?" asked Viola, as she took to the chilling night air and fluttered noisily above us.

"Is Perry you're sister, by any chance?" I asked and I thought I saw her nod. "Well she promised to watch over Jim for me so that I could help."

"Right, first things first. You said you thought that his sickness was caused by the foresters?" Pharaoh turned sharply at the edge of the dark mass of trees.

"Yes, there is a human child who speaks of terrible things only a forester would say. My Jim didn't hear what I did- it was almost as if he were speaking the language of an animal… after that, my human fell ill…" my heart felt unnaturally heavy; perhaps it was not the best thing that I had come here while Jim was so sick.

"What did this human child say, to make you think that?" asked Humphrey the third, although I was anxious at the standstill. I did not want to be separated from my Jim for too long if at all possible. What if he woke up and saw I wasn't there?

"He said something about my human being the reason the foresters had not acted yet, and that 'she' will lead them to victory once he 'fell'." a lump rose in my throat, although I had never known this to happen too often. This whole struggle was beginning to become very personal! Already!

"We must act quick, no doubt that was part of the plan, hurting your human like that. But one of them speaking through the very force they wish to exterminate? I've never known it to happen…" I made to move forward, through the veil of darkness.

"Well he was injured too, and now they're so close it makes me nervous to be here when they are not. Can we hurry up whatever we were going to do?"

"Come on! The coast is clear!" cried a high- pitched voice I guessed was Viola, and I was proved right when she swept through the treetops above.

Finally, we were journeying further than the shallows of this lake of mystery.

"Won't we be in danger if we're here?" I asked, remembering how I had been stopped in the previous chapter. "How come it's okay now that we have Humphrey and Viola?" I didn't mean to be offensive- however the grey pudgey rat and flying rodent could have fitted comfortably in my stomach without wasting much space. (Not that I was insinuating I would ever do that…)

"Ah, we're meeting up with Ben soon, once we can get in a little ways. He lives amongst our enemy but is sworn to avenge his own human."

"What happened to all your humans?" I asked. As I said, I had only seen Pharaoh around them since I came.

"I don't just have one, all of them are mine since they all feed me," piped up Humphrey.

"And both Perry and I have a human… although she left some time ago." the shrill cry came above us. I frowned. Why a human would just abandon animals was beyond me. I knew what I'd do to Jim if he did that to me! The next while passed by peacefully; no ambushes or attacks, no noises… it was almost too calm, if I could use that expression. Then our little overhead sonar detected something.

"There! He's this way, Ben's down here!" she squealed, looping down gracefully to a bridge in the trees, leading down the side of a steep hill.

"Ben!" called the cat beside me, and I sprinted along after him with no great desire to be lost in this place.

"Why does this mission always include lots of running?" puffed the overfed rat, his tiny paws powerless to keep up with my monstrous steps. (After all, us crocs can reach a speed of up to 55mph when we need to!)***_1_**

"Who's there? Pharaoh?" called a deep, melodious voice. By the tone and accent he had, I almost knew him to be in the same biological animal group as the cat- although a lot larger. And we had hardly come twelve metres down the side of the steep clearing, when we spotted the large camouflaged creature. I was right- he was feline- and became progressively larger the closer we got to him, until face-to-face, he was almost a match for me had he have been unfriendly. His shoulders were three times the height of mine, but my body stretched for longer, and his rippling moon stained fur was striped with rusty-golden.

"Is this the one you were on about?" asked Ben, immediately dismissing me with a paw. I then noticed a scar forcing his left eye to remain closed, which reminded me sharply that I should be back with my sick human (seeing as Jim had damaged the right side of his face too somewhere on our travels).

"Yes, and she has delivered the most terrible news," we then began to be led deep into the body of the wood; Pharaoh dutifully relaying the information I had given them on the way.

"Well this confirms it," Ben sighed darkly when Pharaoh was done explaining. "I now know that somehow the foresters are using the humans to do their bidding. I have no idea how… no idea why…"

"The humans forcing their own demise upon themselves? How terrible!!" cried the voice hovering above us, almost drowned in wing beats.

"Yes… and furthermore, what are we supposed to do about it?" I added, almost raising my voice unnecessarily in my anguish.

"That is precisely what I am trying to work out, if you will let me think," snarled the huge cat, bearing fangs almost as sharp as my own. There was then a silence descended upon us, which was very awkward, before the tiger continued.

"The lab here is no longer empty… our worst fears are confirmed. The human that I see around here has taken the name of a fellow snake species and with it, new creatures are disappearing into the jowls of that accursed place!" he announced. "And just to add to that… I have the suspicion he can speak to and understand us, too."

"What? But the laws we live and abide by say that no human can hear us!" cried Humphrey, as obviously haunted by that statement as we all were. This whole problem was beginning to become a lot bigger than any of us. Or the humans, for that matter.

"So… where are we going, to find out what they're up to?" I asked, almost fancying I heard another nearby rustle. But we were surrounded by jostling leaves on a breezy evening…so that wasn't exactly cause for alarm.

"We must travel right into the lair of this human, since he's the cause of all these kidnappings lately." Ben growled, his paws silently displacing the spiny vegetation that was causing Pharaoh and Humphrey problems to traverse.

"Kidnappings?" asked the smaller cat as he leaped along beside the enormous tiger.

"Yes." he replied shortly, and when he did not feel like sharing any more information, Pharaoh did not pry further. I began to get the impression that Ben was one big cat you didn't make the habit of messing with.

"Are you saying there's animals being kidnapped?" I asked, seeing as I was perhaps not as in danger to be asking this as say, Viola would be.

"That's what I said." - what was Ben's story? Why was he always so short with people? Had his Human left him too? Was I the only one with someone at stake in this 'war' as it could be said?

"And…. Who's been kidnapped?" asked Pharaoh, bold now I had spoken.

"Samiel. The twins and Kakurah. Sammy and Benny. Need I add any more??" the irritated golden creature growled deeply. I was not affected by this news as I had no idea who these creatures were, but Pharaoh seemed to become weak, his ears fell flat to his head and he stopped dead, meaning I almost collided into him.

"This human… he has them?" he asked, but the cold unperturbed tiger strode ahead. A few seconds of uneasy silence punctured the backdrop of rustling.

"There's something up ahead!" cried a little voice from the treetops. "It… it's a human!"

"Quickly, Ben, it could be him!" cried Humphrey the third, his little pink paws moving so fast I could barely make them out through the blur. However, the tiger did not stop, and indeed did not acknowledge the last thing said, only led us deeper. Then there were noises coming from the forest floor. Footsteps, human footsteps.

"Ben!" I yelled, and wheeled around, my heavy tail almost beheading Pharaoh. Why was he not stopping?

"Come on! Turn around and get out of there!" yelled Viola's tiny little voice as she swooped low across us. "Move!" I began to sense something- I couldn't tell exactly what it was, I just knew that if Jim had of been here I would try to take the biggest chunk out of it that my mouth could hold! It gave me the worst shivery feeling I had ever experienced (As I don't actually shiver, being a cold blooded reptile) and I had never wished myself to be somewhere else so fast! Especially since Jim was sick. What would happen to him if I never came back? Unimaginable…

"I…." Ben began…. The footsteps got louder… "I'd advise you to run for your lives, if you value them…"

"What?" I yelled, but it was too late. A man emerged through the trees, thickset like a rhino and with a spike of dark hair protruding from his forehead.

"Would you like to tell me what you lot are doing? Have you brought them, Fido?" he looked down at Ben with piercing eyes.

"My name is Ben, you lump, " the cat grumbled, before turning to address us, "and you lot-RUN FOR THE LOVE OF THE HUMANS!!!!!!"

But I think the strength had been drained from all four of our bodies, preventing us from going anywhere. Was _this_ Ben's human or something?

"Are… did you trick us?" asked Pharaoh in a faint meow. However I think we all were beginning to realise what danger we were in at this moment in time…

"Ah, well the thing was I needed you all to come here together, and I'm delighted to meet the latest and most interesting member of you're little organisation!" the human by Ben's side smiled, in a wicked expression. "We'll just _have_ to have a get-together for Jim when he gets better, won't we?"

I stared for a second, and only came out of my trance at the mention of my human's name.

"You leave him out of this!" I yelled, suddenly realising Humphrey was no longer amongst us. Where had he gone? "Why are you doing this??"

It was the strangest thing I have ever done. Had a proper conversation with a human, who could respond and reply in the appropriate manner. As far as I could guess, it had never happened before now. What was this otherworldly power which allowed him to understand us, for I could detect no animal part to his voice. And was this Ben's human? For some reason I doubted that…

"Because, little crocodile, you lot don't realise how much the humans on this island don't belong here. The world should only be made up of the select few of us who do understand you and of course the animals. Don't you agree?" he reached deliberately into the air beside him and brought his palm down across a very vengeful looking- Ben's neck, as if he were stroking him.

"And now it seems it's time to hold up my end of the bargain, Tiger. When I've safely captured the cat, rodent and bats, you can go…"

My eyes widened. He'd made a deal with him? To turn us in?

… actually, I heard no mentioning of me, but now that I was in on it I wasn't about to let them all get kidnapped before my very eyes.

"Ben… how could you?" Pharaoh cried, stepping back a few paces.

"Yeah, Ben, you were our most trusted ally!" Viola reinforced, landing on a nearby shrub smothered with white blossoms. This whole mission had been a complete failure tonight!

I advanced on the human as he neared the frightened creatures slowly. If I could not discover the plot of the enemy, perhaps I could keep what little friends I did now have.

"Leave now, before you never can!" Ben cried suddenly, turning to the man with full fangs bared. "I'll try to hold him off and you guys get out of here!"

"But…" Pharaoh was about to add, when there was an almighty grumble from the weather above. Droplets of water the size of berries pelted the dark trees, painting them silvery-grey around the edges, and plastered both cat's furs thick to their bodies. The human faced with the wrath of the enormous feline chuckled to himself.

"You just try to distract me, fleabag!"

"Come on! Run!" came a great cry- it was so loud, it could have been any or all of us, but the next thing I was running flat out in the opposite direction with the great snarls of our companion left back there echoing in my ears.

The sky heaved with another rumble of thunder, followed by a sudden illumination from the heavens above which lit every corner of this accursed forest.

"Where's Humphrey?" asked a tiny little voice in my ear, and with a jolt I realised it was Viola. She was so small the weather would probably blow her straight out of the air had she not taken refuge on my back.

"I have no idea," I answered, only briefly pausing to make sure that Pharaoh was still with me. And just as I was beginning to wonder how much longer I could continue running, a light appeared and we were back by the lakeside.

"We…. I can't believe what just happened," sighed the sodden cat, sadly.

"Yes… usually Ben's much nicer than that," sighed the little bat clinging to my neck.

"Well, we know one thing for sure now. And that's that Shirley's human is stopping the plan of our enemy from progressing. So we must protect him at all costs, okay?" announced the cat. That was fine by me. He was often rather tricky to look after on my own. Especially if he was being stubborn. In fact, it would be so nice if he had of been the one human able to communicate with animals, instead of whoever Ben had made the deal with. He had the strangest air about him that I had ever sensed in my life!

"Okay, so we agree. But aren't we going to rescue Ben and stop the whole thing? We need a plan, because perhaps Jim is our only hope!" I suggested.

"No, humans are icky and they don't realise what's going on." Viola informed us, childishly, almost drowned by another roll of thunder, beating out an irregular drum-roll on the clouds.

"no, YOU, Shirley, are our only hope. You know the human in question the most and that information may somehow be of use to us. But whatever anyone does, make sure the humans, especially this one, stays safe."

"HEEEEY!" came another tiny voice in the distance, and I suddenly became aware of another miniture figure approaching through the storm, being tossed like a little rowing boat in a typhoon. It was Perry, Viola's sister. Wasn't she supposed to be watching Jim? I thought frantically. Was there something wrong?

"Hey! Shirley the crocodile! Your human- he's…" but then the wind swallowed her tiny voice, and she disappeared from sight.

"PERRY!"

What was wrong with Jim? I had to get back there, as fast as I could!!

**A/n: ahh, there's a good ol' cliffhanger! What's happened to Jim? What's going on with the humans? Why can Professer viper/cobra speak to animals??? Find out next time.. in the GX-ish adventures of Shirley!  
..****and please REVIEW if you liked, i'm not wasting hours writing these long chapters if nobody wants to read them! in fact, please review even if you didn't like it and tell me why.... but i don't mean Flames, i mean actual reasons and/or any advice you can offer to make it better. And tell me whether you think the intergration thing's any good, or whether Jim should give regular appearances. It was really fun to write him in! Okay, genuinely hope you liked it.. and that i'll see you back next time! (whenever i manage the next update)! ^_^**


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